Syllabus

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Teaching and Learning with Technology: Resources for Grades K-12

Instructors: Alice Barr, Mike Arsenault & Cathy Wolinsky


The Essential Question:
How can we effectively use learning strategies and technology resources to improve the acquisition and use of essential skills and knowledge by our students?

This course is based on the philosophy that teachers should:
  1. Use technology as a design factor in planning lessons, units & assessments.
  2. View technology as a support for student learning and share models for successful implementation.
  3. Be proficient with and expected to use a wide variety of technology tools to communicate with parents, students and colleagues, to assess and report on student achievement, to locate appropriate curriculum resources and to perform other professional tasks.
  4. Be aware of the ISTE National Educational Technology Standards for students

The Essential Knowledge and Skills:
  • Expertise in finding and locating resources on the Internet through effective use of search engines and educational resource pages.
  • Design and enhancement of existing teacher web pages to contain weblinks, communication items and student work.
  • Incorporate technology to improve student performance in an area of need.
  • Utilize technology to differentiate instruction when creating unit plans.
  • Expand the use and understanding of Web 2.0 tools for student communication and collaboration.
  • Develop teacher and student 21st Century Digital Literacy skills.
  • Assess the impact of the use of technology resources on student learning of essential skills and knowledge.

Class Dates:

Participants have the option of selecting a 1.5 credit option or a 3 credit option. Both sections will start together on June 24 and end together on October 25, 2008.

1.5 Credit Option
  1. Pre-conference with one instructor (Building Integrator) to develop goals and area of interest for instruction – 1 hour
  2. Tuesday, June 24 8:00-4:00 – 7.5 hours
  3. Wednesday, June 25 8:00-11:00 – 3 hours
  4. Time with Building Integrator to consult about classroom-based project – a minimum of 1 hour
  5. October 25, Fall Wrap up and Presentations – 8:00-3:00 6.5 hours
Total Hours: 19 hours

3 Credit Option
  1. Pre-conference with one instructor (Building Integrator) to develop goals and area(s) of interest for instruction – 1 hour
  2. Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday June 24, 25 & 26, 8:00-4:00 – 22.5 hours
  3. Tuesday September 16 & September 30 – 2 hour classes after school (2:45-4:45 for YHS & HMS and 3:45-5:45 for K-4) – 4 hours
  4. October 25, Fall Wrap up and Presentations – 8:00-3:00 6.5 hours
Total Hours: 37.5 hours

Criteria for Work Habit Expectations:

Participation:
  • Prepare for class discussions by reading and reflecting
  • Contribute to conversations, group activities and online collaborations
  • Communicate with instructors if there is something that needs to change
  • Offer ideas, readings, resources to instructors and class members

Attendance:

  • Attend all classes unless there is a sickness or an emergency.
  • Please notify instructors ahead of time about the need to miss a class.
  • Classes that are missed will be made up by time with an instructor or alternate assignments, depending on what has been missed.

Homework & Classwork:
  • Complete all readings and written reflections
  • Develop and complete an instructor-approved project that reflects the essential question of the course.
  • Evidence of Learning: Based on the work of Schacter & Fagnano, 1999, we expect teachers to complete a project that is designed to “increase student learning, understanding & achievement, but also augments motivation to learn, encourages collaborative learning and supports the development of critical thinking and problem-solving skills.” (Pitler, 2007)
  • Possible projects include (but are not limited to)
  1. FirstClass web pages that demonstrate student learning.
  2. Web-based collections of student work that show essential learning.
  3. Integrated use of Web2.0 tools with students: e.g. blogs, wikis, podcasts, vodcasts, voicetheads, etc.

Selected Chapters/Articles from current publications:

  • David Warlick
  • Will Richardson
  • Robert J. Marzano
  • GLEF (George Lucas Educational Foundation)
  • Technology & Learning Magazine
  • Learning and Leading with Technology (ISTE)
  • “Using Technology with Classroom Instruction That Works” edited by Howard Pitler
  • Other current writing in the field